Update to Domain Requirements Coming January 23rd!

If you’ve been part of our program for any period of time, you’re probably aware of our policies regarding domain registration and validation. For some of you, those requirements meant a bit of extra work, and for others it meant you weren’t able to participate in our program at all. Today, we’re excited to announce a couple of significant positive changes that will begin rolling out on January 23rd.

Mobile Domain Registration

In the past, we’d asked all publishers to register their domains with us in order to be paid on mobile traffic. As of January 23rd, you’ll receive compensation on all mobile traffic regardless of the domain being registered, and will see data on mobile traffic in your dashboard shortly thereafter.

Domain Validation

As part of our program we’ve always required publishers to show proof of domain ownership by validating their websites. Unfortunately, that meant sites hosted on platforms like Blogger or WordPress.com were not eligible to participate in our program. We’re pleased to announce that on February 20th that restriction will be lifted. From that date you’ll be able to use third-party blog platforms to host your content and promote eBay.

Let’s Make it Easier

Over the last few months, you’ve heard us talk a bit about our V.O.T.E.S. strategy for 2013. We have made a commitment to make things as easy and efficient as possible for our publishers and this was the first step. Over the coming months we’ll continue to evaluate our existing policies and procedures and streamline them as much as possible to make it easier to participate in our program.

We’re excited about these two new changes and we hope you are too. Feel free to leave any questions or comments below and we’ll do our best to get you an answer quickly.

It would be nice to get some clarification on the 3rd party sites. Are links from ALL sites across the internet now valid? Or are we just talking a handful of specific blogging platforms such as Blogger and WordPress.com?

ClickimusPrime

Domain registration was optional until the mobile requirement was added. Can you clarify please….are you saying domain verification has been eliminated and/or is now completely optional?

http://www.ebaypartnernetworkblog.com/en/ Scott Parent / ePN

Registration and validation are two different things. The registration piece is being eliminated effective on the January 23rd. The validation requirement will no longer be required after February 20th. Make sense?

http://www.ebaypartnernetworkblog.com/en/ Scott Parent / ePN

Eliminating the validation requirement only pertains to sites that you control. So if you have a blog hosted at WordPress.com/ePN you can promote eBay starting on February 20th. This does not mean that you can put links on every site like Twitter or Facebook, for example. Is that clear?

http://www.ebaypartnernetworkblog.com/en/ Scott Parent / ePN

Glad you’re excited! We are too.

ClickimusPrime

Not really.

Registration means the domain has to be entered into the Referrers->Domain list on EPN which was the requirement for mobile compensation. Validation was only required for new users after July 20, 2009 and only for one domain.

And you can’t validate without registering first. So registration would be required at least as long as validation if validation were required.

As to the blog issue, facebook integrated some WP blogging features last year and a Wall could be considered a blog by some. A list of approved sites would probably be a good idea.

OBVAVirtualAssistant

There is obviously a lot to know about this. Good changes.

john

start thinking about a list of approved and unapproved sites.and
post it instead of make all pull teeth asking one at a time for a
century and not earn

put list in a in a clear format like below

not approved

twitter

squidoo

yes approved

wordpress

please also include all including the hosted parking/mini blog sites that are talking more and more share and that you are currently not approving

Hanley Jurckick

Actually, it’s open for abuse and misunderstandings without further clarity. The problem is, as you know, the differentiators between a blog and a social network are slowly collapsing. Say I ran this blog: http://founditonebay.tumblr.com/ and wanted to monetize that traffic (it’s not mine). Content is controlled by the author and visitors have bookmarked it or come though organic traffic, that should be monetizable like any WordPress site. But what if a post goes viral with thousands of re-tumbles and now the referred traffic is coming from a ton of Tumblr blogs I have nothing to do with? And in the case of Blogspot, posts containing roverized links can easily be one click shared to reader’s Google Plus accounts. Will we get in trouble for that?

http://www.ebaypartnernetworkblog.com/en/ Scott Parent / ePN

Stay tuned. We’ll be making a pretty significant announcement timed around the February 20th release. We think you’ll be pleased.

Bill Cox

While I think you’ve already said it wont happen, it would be great if
you found a way to allow us to use social networking venues like
Facebook to promote ebay. I use FB a lot to drive traffic to my site,
and I even promote ebay auctions on my FB pages even though I know I’m
not compensated for it. When I want to be compensated I have to first
send them first to my site, and then hope they visit ebay from there.
That’s just an extra step that doesn’t need to be there and lessens out
ability to promote ebay.

I think it’s great that you’re removing
the need for validation for folks who can validate their blogs and what
not as that is many affiliates means of affiliate promotion.

http://www.facebook.com/scott.archer.315 Scott Archer

I think the Ebay EPN program is awesome, but from being in the online game for 10 years now, I know Google is reactive and this is going to increase ebay affilate link spamming greatly and deeper penalities brought upon Google on all sites with EPN links as a result. In the future, this would likely lead to Google giving sites lower quality scores automatically because they have EPN links (across the board), once it gets excessive (which it likely would if it’s ran wide open to sites affiliates don’t technically own). Affiliates will probably start paying people in India or the Philippines to even plaster these affilaite links everwhere or to create hundreds of redundant hubpates, squidoo, wordpress blogs for them and Google will severly react to sites with EPN links, due to the amount of spam flooding in with them. I realize many people would do this responsibly, however there are many that would start registering on sites or creating squidoo, blogger, hubpages, related pages on sites they don’t own, just to flood then with Ebay links. I really think for the long term survival of the EPN program, it’s a little risky by not having the domain verification a requirement and limit to sites affiliates actually own. I may be looking too far ahead here, but I do honestly seeing this happen. Initially I’m sure it’ll show a bit of a spike, but the quality will lower and Google will be signaled by that imho.

Please don’t take this as a negative comment, I’m only bringing this up, as I am highly concerned about the long term ramifications and survival of the EPN program and those that use it and promote it on their own sites, as a result. I do want the program to be extremely successful for both Ebay and the affilaites that promote it years down the road. Perhaps I’m being too paranoid here?

http://www.ebaypartnernetworkblog.com/en/ Scott Parent / ePN

Scott – Thank you for your thoughtful comment. We completely understand the potential for fraud when opening up new promotion avenues. Our Network Quality Team is well-equipped to deal with the kinds of scenarios you’ve outlined above.

We appreciate the passion and care you’ve expressed for the program. We also want the most positive outcomes for ePN and our Partners and will do whatever is necessary to ensure that.

Thanks again.

Mike

He hit the nail on the head. Opening the EPN program up to blogger and WordPress.com is a HUGE mistake. You are opening the door for spammers to rob you blind. And the notion that you will some how control this is ridiculous. For every spammer you ban from the program, 100 more will pop up. And they will simply buy an EPN account (or 50) on a freelance site for a few bucks a pop and get right back to it. All they have to do is slip by your radar for a month or two to make it financially viable for them. And Google will absolutely start using ebay affiliate links as a spam signal at which time us legit, high quality affiliates will take a hit. This is a very short sighted move that may increase click counts, but will lower quality referrals and encourage spammers to flock to EPN in hordes – until Google catches on and we all get penalized, at which time they will move onto the next easy paycheck. I strongly encourage you to consult a new SEO firm and rethink this as it will not end well…